Mom's and Grand maa's know best. Sometimes quick home remedies are the solution to many common aliments. The home remedies mentioned here have been obtained from personal experiences and also from available data in medical literature. Please note that every individual reacts in a different way and therefore a remedy which may be helpful to one individual may not work for another.

Acidity

· Try chewing on a clove.  

· Eat a piece of Jaggery or Gur after lunch/dinner.   

Bad Breath  

· Put a pinch of Saunf (Anise seeds) and chew.

·  Gargle with Karpoor (Camphor) water

· Chew some cardamom Spices fight bad breath because of their antifungal and antibacterial properties, say experts. Cardamom is rich in cineole, a potent antiseptic that zaps the bacteria responsible for foul mouth odour.

· Have a spice tea Boil 2 cups of water and add 4 whole cloves and 2 tablespoons broken cinnamon sticks. Let it steep for 20 minutes, strain and drink a cup for long lasting fresh breath.

· Sip a cup of mint tea what gives mint (pudina) its distinctive flavour and smell is a potent antiseptic that kills the Bad Breath Baddies. Use one tablespoon whole dried leaves or two tablespoon fresh leaves per cup of hot water for 10 minutes and drink when needed.

Bags under Eyes  

· Use cold used tea bags to relieve bags under eyes.   

Bruises   

· Reach into your freezer. Tap a pack of frozen peas on a hard surface to loosen, and then lay the bag on where you are black 'n' blue. The bag fits the contours of your body and the cold melts away the inflammation caused by the bruise.

Common Cold  

·  If you want to try alternative treatment for common colds, fever and gas problems then Cumin seeds could be your answer. Add two tablespoons cumin seeds to 4 1/2 cups of water. Let it boil for a minute. Then allow the water to cool and drink a glassful, twice a day for a few days.

· Sipping hot "Ginger Tea" for clearing up a cold.   

· Add a pinch of turmeric and 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper to a glass of warm sweet milk. Mix well and drink while hot. It provides immediate relief. Tip by

· Tie some turmeric in a clean rag and light it like a cigar. Inhale the fumes to clear a stuffy nose.

· Stuffy Nose: To clear a stuffy nose mix 1/4 teaspoon table salt in 1 cup of boiled and cooled water. With a dropper, place 2 or 3 drops in each nostril half an hour before meals and at bedtime.

· Tie 1 tablespoon ajwain in muslin into a sort of bean bag as large as your palm. Run against a hot iron and then place against the chest or on the sinuses.

Constipation   

·  Prunes are a natural laxative as they contain a lot of fibre. Eat 4 to 6 at night.

·  A glass of hot tap water with a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of lemon/lime juice might do the trick

· Eat a banana at night.

·  Increase your dietary fibre content by eating fibre rich foods – fresh fruits and vegetables.

Cuts & Scrapes     

· For any cut or scrape, apply turmeric powder to the injured portion to stop the bleeding. It also works as an antiseptic. You can tie a bandage after applying arad/turmeric.

Diarrhoea

Mix 1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon bark with one cup of hot water. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Cinnamon, a natural astringent, dries up your bowel.
Banana is good therapy for constipation as well as the runs. Boil a raw banana, mash, add a pinch of salt and butter, and eat.  
Blend 1 teaspoon cumin-seeds, 1/4 tsp methi seeds, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp dill (suwa) seeds, 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds. Roast on a low flame. Add a pinch of hing / asafoetida and salt and stir for a minute. Make a course powder when cool and store in an air tight jar. Mix 1/2 tsp of powder with 1 tsp of curd. Eat twice a day for quick relief.
This mixture is also good for chronic flatulence and dyspepsia. The fenugreek (methi) alone stimulates the digestive process as well as the metabolism in general. The other spices have properties that have still not been scientifically evaluated.

Hiccups

· Chew on a small piece of fresh ginger.

· Take a warm slice of lemon and sprinkle salt, sugar and black pepper on it. Then suck on the lemon, until the hiccups stop.

Leg Cramps    

· When you awaken with a leg cramp, put a stainless steel spoon on the cramp and it will un-cramp instantly.  

· As a preventative measure, wear thick long socks when you go to bed.

Lowering Cholesterol     

·  Many Indian people eat raw onions with their meals. It has been shown that when a person eats at least 1/2 a raw onion a day, their good type HDL cholesterol goes up an average of 30%. Source: American Heart Association.  

Motion Sickness     

· Ginger has demonstrated to be far superior to dimenhydrinate, the active ingredient in anti nausea medications such as Dramamine and Gravol — without the side effects of drowsiness, dry mouth or blurry vision. The ginger works by dampening impulses to the brain that deliver messages about equilibrium. You need to give it time to kick in.  

So one hour before your trip grate 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. fresh ginger steep in one cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes, strain and drink. Or eat some candied ginger.

Reduce Fever    

· The juice of the Sweet basil or Tulsi leaves can be used to bring down fever. Extract of tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold water. In children, it is every effective in bringing down the temperature.   

Reduce Facial Hair:

· Take a spoonful of Barley powder add milk and lime juice. Apply on face and leave on for 20 minutes. Wash with warm water. Doing this daily or thrice a week shows great results.

Small Cuts  

·Turmeric powder has been used as an antiseptic for years. Use clean turmeric powder (not one that is in a frequently used spice box) to heal a small cut.   

Stomach Ache    

· Rub a little Asafoetida on the stomach around the navel.

· Use a hot-water bag on your stomach and lay on your stomach.

· Ajwain or Carom seeds have been known to cure or lessen a stomach ache. Chew on a few carom or ajwain seeds. Then drink a cup of hot water.

·  Ginger also helps. Have ginger tea without milk and sugar.

 
Toothache    

· Chew on a piece of clove to relieve a toothache temporarily.   

·  Chew a clove or dip a piece of cotton wool in clove oil and place on the aching tooth for best results.

Urinary Tract Infection     

·  Drink 2 to 3 cups of cranberry juice per day. Cranberry juice's ability to change urine acidity, kill harmful bacteria has been proved time and again. Another study of bacteria shows cranberry juice interferes with the bacteria's ability to stick to bladder cells.

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Ammarah
Radio Islam
+27118547022
ammarah@radioislam.co.za
www.radioislam.co.za